


Howl

by CaptainErica



Series: Autumn Fun [1]
Category: Big Bang (Band), K-pop
Genre: M/M, are gdyb together? no one knows, daeri - Freeform, seungri is so bad at following directions, werewolf!daesung, writer!seungri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 11:49:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16284065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainErica/pseuds/CaptainErica
Summary: It's dark and stormy, or maybe it's just quiet, a muggy night, and then you hear it, and it's surprising because really, really... how often do wolves actually howl?





	Howl

Seungri is not afraid of the dark.

He’s _really_ not. He’s not afraid of the dark, or full moons, or the wind whispering through the trees outside his window. He’s definitely not afraid of the clunky way the heater in the basement seems to work, or the creakiness of the floorboards. He’s not afraid.

The wind picks up speed and power, and the window by the door pops open with a creak and a thump. Seungri fumbles the bottle of wine he’s carrying, and almost trips over the rug in his haste to get out of the kitchen.

Okay, so maybe he’s a very tiny bit afraid. But honestly, they’re in the smallest town imaginable and Seungri doesn’t believe for a second that Jiyong and Youngbae _actually_ know someone out here. Their protestations that _no_ he was just _busy_ and that’s why he hadn’t been up to see them since they’d arrived three days previously were just bullshit; he could _feel it._

“Did you fall?” Youngbae asks, coming to the door as Seungri hurries up to it, and he awkwardly tries to stop, pretend he wasn’t running, force his face into some semblance of order.

“No!” he says, a little too loud, a little _too_ unconvincing, and he can hear Jiyong snort in the background while Youngbae pulls the bottle from his hands.

“Right, come on, sit down.” Youngbae mutters, turning back into the living room and making his way over to the coffee table Jiyong is lounging beside. He taps the bottle against Jiyong’s shoulder as he passes, grinning down at him, and Jiyong looks up at him with a matching smile.

“I’m still here.” He says, disgruntled now, moving over to sit where he’d been before, across from Youngbae. “Stop being gross where I can see it.”

Jiyong is about to retort, probably something quick and rude that he’ll soften with a hair ruffle, when a loud and very clear howl rings through the room. Seungri tenses, and looks over at the other two, hoping for some kind of reassurance that it’s nothing…Except that they are clearly just as unsettled by the sound.

“Did you, ah, leave a window open, Ri?” Youngbae asks after a moment. He’s the broadest, so it stands to reason (and to Jiyong and Seungri’s expectations) that he be the least afraid.

Seungri almost protests, says no outright, but then he remembers why he’d almost run in there just moments ago and bites his lip a moment before speaking. “Ah, the kitchen, one of the windows came open while I was getting the wine.”

Jiyong frowns at him, almost accusatory, but Youngbae just shakes his head, standing up with enough nonchalance to empty the room of tension. It doesn’t empty _Seungri_ of tension, and Jiyong’s still got something like worry in his eyes as Youngbae leaves for the kitchen, but it helps. They hear another howl, louder, closer, as Youngbae gets into the kitchen and Jiyong and Seungri look at each other with thinly veiled fear on their faces.

They both stand, turning toward the hallways; the tension, this time, doesn’t leave them until they see Youngbae coming back down the short hallway, but he looks shaken so the relief is short-lived.

“I, uh, don’t remember there being wolves in the area, do you?” he asks Jiyong, and it’s not quite nonchalant enough for them to not be wary of where he’s going with this.

“No, but Daesung mentioned that there had been, um…” Jiyong trails off, face going a little white, and then he shakes his head. “I mean, we were here at a different time of the year, last time. So who knows? And honestly, we probably heard wolves then, too…just with the windows closed, you know?” he says, and he’s rambling now, which means he’s bullshitting, and Seungri has known him long enough to know that. What Seungri _can’t_ just get from what Jiyong is saying is what it is he’s trying to hide.

Youngbae shoos them both back to the table, pops open the wine, and shuts them up with drinks. It works very well with Jiyong, though he’s still shooting furtive glances toward the windows every time there’s a sound he doesn’t immediately recognize, but it’s impossible to shut Seungri up so he keeps talking. He’s not talking about _wolves_ , though, and that’s the important thing.

It gets later, and Seungri admits sleepy defeat at around one in the morning, more because Jiyong has curled up against Youngbae’s side than because he’s really _ready_ for bed. He slowly gets to his feet, and holds onto the urge to run upstairs to his room until he’s half-way up the stairs and he’s certain neither Jiyong nor Youngbae are paying him any attention.

He sighs in relief when he’s shut the door to his room behind him, and then slowly makes his way to the windowsill to look outside. It’s still very windy, and so incredibly dark out that Seungri can barely see a thing with the light on in his room, but he doesn’t move to turn it off just yet. He looks out over the view, and his eyes land on the bright, full moon; if he were superstitious at all, he’d say that the howling they’d heard earlier was less _wolf_ and more _werewolf._ But it’s not like he’s ever _heard_ a werewolf…that he knows of.

There’s movement off in the distance, like something big and four-legged was moving across the field, and Seungri pulls in a breath as his eyes go wide; curtains _closed_ tonight.

He drops the blinds, pulls the curtains closed, and gets into bed. He sleeps just a little restlessly, and when he wakes up, still tired, he decides that he’s not certain he wants to be here for the next few months. He knows it’s the plan, knows they’d all gotten special leave and were going to _write_ and _create_ and _whatever else_ they could do in _nature_ , but he couldn’t fathom it right now; he’s too…

Youngbae is already making breakfast when he gets downstairs, and he wonders if he and Jiyong had made it up to their rooms the night before. He snorts to himself, rolling his eyes as he sits down at the table with a glass of water. As if they would have slept in separate rooms last night. That was a fate they left for him, while they stayed comfortable and not afraid _together._ He almost scowls at the thought, but pushes past it because Youngbae seems tired too, a little pull around his eyes as he puts the food on the table.

“Jiyong’s still asleep.” He says, and Seungri nods, thanking him quietly for cooking.

“Did you go up much later than me?” he asks, and Youngbae runs a hand over his face, sighing.

“Yeah, or, no? I don’t remember when you went up, but it was a struggle getting Jiyong to bed. That howling was incessant, late into the night, did you fall asleep okay?”

Seungri frowns, wondering about that a little. “I didn’t hear it again, it must have been on your side of the house.” He says, and Youngbae nods, serving them both while he considers.

“Maybe, I mean, maybe the, ah, wolf made its way down our side, far enough that you couldn’t hear it, but close enough that we still could.” He shrugs. “Who knows? Anyway, I hope it’s not going on tonight. It’s going to be a gorgeous couple of days, and I’d hate for another ruined night.”

Seungri hums his agreement, turns his attention fully to his food, and finishes eating just in time to be cleaning his dish when Jiyong comes down. He excuses himself quickly, goes upstairs to change into something he can work out in, then heads out to the backyard. He hears Jiyong and Youngbae talking about going out into the woods after they’ve gotten dressed, but Seungri wrinkles his nose; he’s not really _into_ the wilderness, doesn’t know why he agreed to do this with them.

 _He does know, though. He agreed to come out here with them because his job wasn’t time consuming enough, he’d wanted to do something creative, and since he could work remotely just as well as he could work from his apartment or one of his many offices… and it helped that he was kind of in awe of his two friends, wanted their approval_ (they gave it willingly and were already 100% on his side) _so what better way than to agree to come out here with them, to this place that they both remembered from their childhood, where they had other friends they wanted him to meet._

He takes in a deep breath, lets it out, goes through his normal morning routine. It’s not _normal_ , it’s what he has decided will be normal. He’s been out there for a few hours now, had waved when Jiyong and Youngbae had gone out for their walk in the woods, but now he’s ready to go inside, get something to work on.

By 5pm Seungri’s bored again, but Jiyong is making noise downstairs so he heads down for some company. “Hyung, how was the forest?” he asks, wandering closer.

“Quiet. It’s too bad it’s not really good for writing or painting or I’d make you or Youngbae stay with me out there.” He says, and Seungri wrinkles his nose.

“Right, well, I’m perfectly fine with the porch or literally any room in this house.”

Jiyong makes a face at him, then rolls his eyes. “You need culture.” He mutters, turning away. “And Daesung is coming up tonight for dinner, so…”

Seungri sticks his tongue out at Jiyong’s back. “I’ll try and keep how uncultured I am from being obvious to him.”

“Daesung won’t think anything like that.” Youngbae says, coming in from the hallway. “He’s not very judgmental, unlike someone…” he adds, giving Jiyong a look. Jiyong makes a noise in the background, but doesn’t turn around. “You’ll like him, he’s a good guy.”

Daesung _is_ a good guy, and Seungri _does_ like him. He’s not sure Daesung likes _him_ , but he can sometimes come on a bit strong, and they haven’t known each other very long.

Seungri likes it when Daesung comes by the cottage, as the days turn slowly into weeks. It breaks up the routine, the monotony of their time there. He does work, goes outside to work out, comes in for lunch, does more work, and maybe Daesung shows up and they all go out for a walk. Maybe Jiyong and Youngbae are too busy, too focused, and then it’s just Daesung and Seungri, chatting over iced tea; maybe it’s more Seungri chatting, and Daesung being politely interested… No matter what it is, it’s nice, it’s a disruption, and Daesung is over more days than he’s not, never really at the same exact time.

Until he isn’t.

Seungri really notices after the second day of no Daesung. He probably shouldn’t have, because again: Daesung hadn’t been coming every day. But he _does_ notice, probably because he’s bored, and he wanders out to find Youngbae and bother him about it.

“Yeah, I dunno, I texted him this morning, wanted to do dinner, but no response.” Youngbae says, frowning at the canvas before him like it’s just not right. “Maybe he’s busy, though, he _does_ have a life when we’re not here.” He adds, but Seungri doesn’t buy it because there’s something else behind Youngbae’s words, something that Seungri can feel but can’t really explain or understand.

It’s three more days before Daesung shows up, looking tired but no less happy to see them. He’s got groceries, promises to make them dinner since he missed it a few days ago, and seems pretty normal despite the tiredness. Seungri sits on his hands on the counter, trying not to ask too many questions, and trying not to think about why he cares so much because he really can’t fathom it.

“How’s your research?” Daesung asks him a week later, sitting on the steps of the back porch. They’re facing the forest, watching as Jiyong tries vainly to learn how to play baseball; Youngbae is extremely patient. “It’s been well over a month now, have you found what you need?”

Seungri leans back on his elbows, squinting out at his two friends, before shaking his head as Jiyong misses another ball Youngbae throws at him. “I’ve found more questions.” He says after a short moment. “Every answer gives me two more questions, and every question is more hours, more outline revisions, more questions about other things that I have to consider…” He’s not frustrated, not really, he’s found what he was looking for, but then found that there were other things that were just as interesting that he wanted to check in on; follow-up papers, maybe.

“Will you finish your paper before the end of the summer?” Daesung asks, and Seungri turns to look at him, a little uncertain where this line of questioning is coming from.

“That’s almost two more months…I think I can probably get it done.” He says, then because he thinks they must be there in their friendship by now, he adds: “despite all distractions.” Eyes finding Daesung’s as he grins.

Daesung blushes, though, looks down, eyes never turning to meet Seungri’s. “Breaks are good for you.” He says after a very short moment, and Seungri wonders if he’s said something wrong, or if he’s just destined to never know if Daesung actually likes to be around him or not.

Three weeks go by, and Seungri’s pretty certain he’s closing in on the home stretch for this paper; minus editing, of course. He thinks he’s figured Daesung out, just a little more, though it’s entirely because of Jiyong.

“Daesung seems to be under the impression that you’re going to bolt the second you finish your paper.” He’d said over lunch the day before. Youngbae was still outside, most likely frowning at another canvas. “Which I told him was ludicrous, but now I’m wondering if you said anything…?”

It wasn’t much of a question, and it’s like Jiyong was double-checking, making sure that Seungri didn’t have plans that oppose what they’d all agreed on. He’d rolled his eyes, because it’s what Jiyong expected, and shook his head. “Even if I finish it, I still have to edit it, send it out, clean up my research…” He’d let the thought trail off then, because there was also all of the other research he’d started to do, all of the things his editor had asked, and it _is_ only one of many parts of the book he’s writing so…

So Daesung, he concludes three weeks after Daesung tells him that breaks are good for him, is worried that he plans to leave, which means he _wants him around._ It’s not much in the way of having _figured someone out_ , but it’s something, because Daesung is pretty quiet and mysterious. He thinks about it, though, as Daesung helps Youngbae set up a canvas and set out sponges and too many paints for some new thing Youngbae wants to try. Because maybe Daesung _does_ like him, does want to spend time with him, and that’s exciting.

It’s five days, _again,_ before Daesung comes back to visit. He doesn’t bring food for dinner this time, he comes without anything, extremely tired and drawn looking, and Youngbae makes him lie out in the sun with a cool drink while Seungri and Jiyong stand in the window of the kitchen and worry at each other about him.

“He looked bad that last time, too, you remember?” Jiyong asks, wringing his hands together, lip caught between his teeth when he turns to look back outside.

Seungri nods, eyes wide and worried. “Too tired, and anxious, too.” He says, and Jiyong makes a scattered sound of agreement, focus clearly divided.

When Youngbae comes back inside, Jiyong turns to him, like Youngbae has the answers and can help stop him from worrying. “He’ll be fine; he was last time, he will be this time.” And even though the words are slightly reassuring, the look on Youngbae’s face, as he pulls Jiyong into a comforting hug, is anything but.

Daesung does get better. Almost immediately, really. He’s perfectly fine the next day, like he’d never been that tired and sick looking at all. It’s confusing, but now they’re speculating, late into the night. Three days later and Seungri’s got 18 tabs open on his browser and no real idea where he’s going with his research; but research is what he _does_ so he feels like he’s got to find something. He tries another search, closing that browser and opening a new window, hoping for a clean slate.

The new search (‘5 days missing’, ‘tired’, ‘monthly’), doesn’t turn up anything that the last barrage of search term tries had, so he closes his computer and goes to bed early.

Seungri can’t focus on his paper. He’s worried about Daesung, has 1 week before he’s really got to either make a call and tell them he’s staying out here longer, or call it quits and head back to the city. Jiyong and Youngbae have both decided to go home for a week and then come back armed with fresh supplies and a lot of determination, but Seungri isn’t sure what he wants to do.

Daesung, he notices, seems to pull into himself the closer they get to the end of that single week. It’s because of this, he knows and can’t even deny, that he’s calling his publisher and telling them he needs more time, and then calling his office to tell them it will be longer than anticipated. It’s all fine, they all figured it would be anyway, but he _has_ to make the call. “I’m going back up with them on Thursday, getting some new stuff, ‘cause it’s getting just a little chillier, and then we’re coming back.” He says, and Daesung looks up from the carrots he’s chopping and Seungri notices the slight tremor in Daesung’s hand that wasn’t always there, definitely hadn’t been there two days ago when he was doing something similar.

“Oh, I won’t get to say goodbye.” He says, and Seungri frowns.

“You won’t come by tomorrow?” He asks, and Daesung looks over at him, a little sad.

“I’m going to be busy.” He says, and doesn’t elaborate, and Seungri realizes that this is the first time that Daesung has ever acknowledged that he wouldn’t be free.

He doesn’t comment on _that_ though, just whines a little bit then moves past it, telling him that he’ll see them when they get back because it won’t be terribly long. Youngbae tries to convince Daesung to stay the night that night; he’s shaky and starting to look a little pale and tired, but Daesung is firm in his refusal, and he leaves just before the sun has fully sunken below the horizon. They decide, then, that they’ll leave the next day instead of waiting for Thursday, and head to bed with thoughts and worries running through their heads.

Seungri gets a surprising amount done in the week he’s back home. It’s surprising because he’s naturally rather social and often gets distracted by that need to go out and be seen. He’s relatively tame during the week back home, though he does see some people who beg for him to come out.

It’s weird, he thinks, as he tells them about the cabin and the weird guy who is, you know, ‘kind of cute but like totally distant, you know?’ It’s good to go out, to see people who aren’t Youngbae and Jiyong, though, and it helps him focus on the rest of the things he has to do before he goes back. He visits his publisher, visits his office, checks in on how things are going, on how he can contribute from out of office, on how his papers are coming and on how he can keep researching.

The biggest pain about the cabin was its relative distance from anything generally useful to researching: the nearest library was quite distant, and he didn’t like driving in the small town area surrounding the place (he could ask Daesung to take him, couldn’t he?).

When Youngbae comes to pick him up, he’s got better clothes for the colder weather, and a full bag of books and notebooks. The back of the SVU is filled with canvas and painting supplies, along with even more notebooks, and Seungri smiles to himself a little as he shoves his bags in there, forcing them to fit so he doesn’t have to sit with any of them on the ride over.

They stop at a grocery store before picking up Jiyong from his rather superfluous apartment, and Seungri is glad, because it was rare that he got time alone with Youngbae, and it was always better than when there were other people around.

“He is convinced he can bring half of his belongings, I had to remind him that we aren’t moving in, just staying for a little while.” Youngbae is saying, the topic Jiyong as they head into the store and grab a cart. “He’s convinced we can forsake our lives here and stay there, he’s less…” Youngbae shrugs, throwing Seungri a small look that he understands perfectly well: Jiyong was better, easier, happier, freer out at the cabin than here in the city with all of its pressures.

The conversation turns comfortably to Seungri’s work, to Youngbae’s, and then Seungri can’t help himself because his mind has been turning to Daesung time and time again over the last week.

“Hyung, do you know… is there something, ah, _wrong_ with Daesung?” He asks as they enter the cereal aisle, and Seungri uses this as an excuse not to be looking at Youngbae as he waits for an answer.

Youngbae takes his time responding, which is what Seungri was afraid he might do; means he’s probably choosing his words, picking his answer carefully. “He’s always had… needed some time to himself. It’s not usually so obvious, you know, but with us having nothing else to do really except look forward to him coming over, I guess that puts it into focus, you know.”

Seungri doesn’t _know_ , or, well, he _does,_ but he would rather Daesung just not be like this. “So you don’t know why, then?” He pushes, and Youngbae shakes his head.

“But he spends a lot of time with us, with you. You guys really hit it off, yeah?”

Seungri wrinkles his nose, drops two boxes of something sugary that Youngbae will sniff disdainfully at into the cart, and turns back to face him with a shrug. “While you and Jiyong are busy I need _someone_ to pay attention to me.” He says, and Youngbae raises an eyebrow, seeing through this rather immediately.

“Right, of course.” He says, and doesn’t push it, just gives Seungri a rather knowing look that makes Seungri want to push him.

Seungri sighs, walks a little down the aisle then stops rather abruptly. “It’s not because of me, is it?” He asks, doesn’t turn, just wants Youngbae to give him a straight answer. “That he leaves, that is.”

Youngbae make a soft sound, “Absolutely not.” He says, confused, surprised (both emotions that Seungri is glad to hear because it means Youngbae isn’t lying). “He enjoys spending time with you, he wouldn’t do it so often if he didn’t.”

Seungri takes that for what it is; the facts as Youngbae sees them. They finish shopping within the hour, Youngbae commenting that that is something they could never have done if Jiyong had come with them, and then they leave, heading out to pick Jiyong up.

The drive back is longer than Seungri remembers, possibly because he is looking forward to their arrival so much. He forces himself not to rush as he gets out of the car at the cabin. There’s no one else there, no other cars… no Daesung, basically. But why would Daesung be there? To greet them? That would be ridiculous of him to expect.

Seungri gets his room set to rights, new things put away, staying as far from the kitchen as possible just because Jiyong is in a foul mood and he’d agreed to put the groceries away for them.

Dinner is quiet that night, Seungri a little mopey for reasons he cannot rightly define. He gets to work right after, even though Youngbae tries to convince him to play a game with them, relax. He’s spent a week _relaxing_ , or, a week away from _here._ He’s not ready to relax right now, wants to get into his work, wants to…

He falls asleep on the first page of one of the new books he had brought with him. He dreams of the woods, and a full moon, and that howling sound they heard every so often but not so clearly as that first night.

The next morning Daesung shows up at half past ten with a couple bags of groceries and a promise that he really _can_ cook, as if the last few meals he had made for them didn’t count. Seungri’s mood trips upward, and he sits in the kitchen with his books and computer, taking notes and being quiet. Youngbae comments on it quietly to Jiyong out on the porch, looking in through the screen door at them, but Seungri doesn’t hear it (Daesung does).

“It’s early to start dinner, isn’t it?” Seungri asks 3 days later when Daesung has done quite the same thing; coming in early prepared to cook them dinner. He knows the answer is that Daesung likes to slow cook things, it seems, likes to let everything take the time it needs to meld and work together; flavors playing off each other to the best of their abilities.

Daesung looks up from the carrots he had been cutting, eyes big and warm and taking in how Seungri has turned in his chair to be able to watch him. “Not for this meal, no.” He says, thoughtful. “Sometimes it takes longer to get the right flavors, you know?” He asks, and Seungri doesn’t as he’s never been much of a cook, but he’ll believe anything Daesung says.

After dinner that night Youngbae and Jiyong agree to clean up, so Seungri is left alone with Daesung in the living room, quiet for the moment.

“How’s your research, then?” Daesung asks, breaking that quiet before Seungri can.

“Ah, I’m finished with that first paper, I’ve decided, got it in, moving on to the next set of things.” He say, a little pink cheeked, but he isn’t sure why. “It’s just a small part of the greater books, but I have to get the sections approved, it’s… different.” He adds with a shrug.

Daesung seems interested, but uncertain how to ask for more information, so Seungri provides it, easy and like he had already planned to and not like he had just noticed Daesung seeming like he needed some help to keep the conversation going. He can talk for forever about his work, and he’s pleased that Daesung doesn’t seem to get bored, finds his voice again, asks questions and clarifications. It’s great because it gives him something to work off of, and makes him feel good about himself, like Daesung enjoys listening to him, thinks he’s _smart._

It’s a great few weeks, but then…

Then it’s clear that Daesung is going to stop coming to visit again for a short spell and that feels completely intolerable to Seungri. Because the weather is turning colder Youngbae is spending more and more time inside painting, because the paints don’t do well out in the cold, or something equally annoying. It means that he has less places he can hide without running into he and Jiyong together. He normally wouldn’t mind because he likes them both but… But he’s gotten used to Daesung, gotten used to having him to himself or at least having _himself_ to himself.

Now it’s all of them in the house almost all of the time and it’s harder to think with so many people.

“You can’t come tomorrow?” Seungri asks, as if Daesung came every day, which he truly didn’t and Seungri should be grateful he comes at all. It’s said sadly, and Seungri _knows_ it’s just this side of a guilt trip, but… well.

Daesung shakes his head, “No, I’m… I won’t be able to come up for the next few days, you know.” He says, and Seungri actually pouts, which is embarrassing, but he can’t help it because he wants to know and he wants to be around Daesung and he…. He _wants._

It’s the second day since Daesung had told him he wouldn’t be able to come over, and Seungri has wandered out ahead of Jiyong and Youngbae on their evening walk. They had decided, for some reason, to go out to the edge of the forest. It’s getting dark already, the oncoming night spreading slowly over the sky far earlier than any of them want; hadn’t it just been summer? Hadn’t the days just stretched on and on without seeming end?

Seungri turns back to tell them to keep up with him, and just as the words leave his mouth he sees something moving at the edge of his vision. He turns surprised, and thinks he sees a shadow lurking just inside the trees. There’s a sound like a growl some distance off, and Seungri’s eyes are diverted from the shadow for just long enough that when he refocuses… it’s gone.

That night the howling is back, louder than the majority of the summer, similar to that first night, but it stays on Seungri’s side of the house and he has trouble sleeping because of it.

The next night… The next night Seungri refuses to go out for a walk, and, well… Jiyong agrees; no biting remarks, no trying to get him to change his mind, nothing. They all stay in and Seungri plays with his phone for about 30 minutes before he gets up the courage to text Daesung, wishing him a goodnight and hoping to see him soon.

Seungri looks out the window, staring out into the dark forest over the lawn. The front porch light goes out, signaling to Seungri that Jiyong has finally decided to go to bed, and he sighs. The lost light makes it easier for him to focus in on the dark line of the forest. It’s hard to tell from this distance what’s in the woods, aside from the trees, but Seungri thinks he can see something wandering the edge of the forest, something big and kind of… hulking.

He watches it for a while, eyes following the mysterious shape. It must be a wolf, or maybe a _bear_. Neither makes him feel very comfortable here, because… But they’ve never seen or heard either… well, aside from the howling that only seemed to happen once a month or so.

Once a month.

It happened around once a month, only during… only…

“Oh my God.” He says, sitting up straight, eyes wide as he looks back into the room. There’s a distant howling, and Seungri startles away from the window entirely to stand somewhere in the middle between the sill and his bed. He stands there for a moment, unsure what to do because…

The next morning, after an unsuccessful night’s sleep, Seungri researches werewolves at the breakfast table.

It annoys Youngbae when any of them have their computers at the table while they’re eating, but Seungri ignores the disapproving looks Youngbae and then Jiyong continue to throw him as they eat, and opens every page he can find about werewolves and if they really exist and what they are and how to tell if one has found one and…

There are a surprising number of web pages about werewolves despite them not being real. Or maybe that’s why there are so many, and maybe it’s a cover because they must be real. They have to be real and this is a cover to make people think that they aren’t real...

He must look crazed, because an hour or so later and Youngbae is standing across the table from him, looking at him concernedly over his computer with Jiyong hiding in the doorway behind him.

“What are you researching?” Youngbae asks, trying for interested and not concerned.

Seungri frowns up at him, hunched, confused for a moment. “Nothing important.” He says, shaking his head. “Just some stupid idea.” He doesn’t want to tell them just yet because…

Well, firstly because it sounds insane but then… then also because isn’t it Daesung’s secret? Should _he_ be the one who tells, _if it’s even true_.

When the full moon is over, and on exactly the day Seungri thinks he will come, Daesung shows up outside, looking worse for wear but sporting a bright smile.

“How has your research been?” Daesung asks, settling onto the couch beside Seungri. It’s after lunch and somehow they’ve been left alone, Seungri can’t imagine their luck in that.

He shrugs, though in answer to Daesung’s question, because he’d spent the last few days learning about _werewolves._ “Same, might be stuck, but maybe I’ll feel better later.” He says, tilting his head up a little, smiling.

Daesung hums, warm and content, already looking better than when he had shown up a few hours previously. “I was wondering, and I know I don’t look my best right now so it doesn’t have to be today, if you wanted to go out, for dinner that is.”

Seungri, expecting a lot of things in life, is not expecting this (his 2nd theory, if Daesung is _not_ a werewolf, is that he’s dying and has intense treatments once a month that just so happen to coincide with the full moon). His face shows the surprise, he knows this because he hadn’t caught it in time and he can see Daesung’s face start to change, smile start to droop. “Yeah, yes, when, when would you like to go?” He asks, and truthfully (his theories about Daesung’s disappearances disappearing because his mind can only focus on this kind of amazing turn of events) he would never have guessed that Daesung might actually…

“Tomorrow night, then, yeah? Work for you?” Daesung asks, smile bright again. “I’ll come get you, don’t let Youngbae feed you or anything.” He says, teasing, warm. Seungri’s cheeks are pink, but he’s smiling and pleased, and this must be how they got to be alone together, Daesung must have told them…

Seungri spends an inordinate amount of time on his appearance, then gives up because Jiyong is sitting on his bed making fun of him for it, and also because he doesn’t really have any clothes that say ‘let’s date, you’re hot’ with him. It feels like an oversight on his part since he had spent a week at home and _knew_ he would get to see Daesung again.

“Well, you were pretending you didn’t have the biggest crush on him that’s ever been had, so of _course_ you didn’t plan for this.” Jiyong says, leaning back casually, comfortable on the bed, looking over at Seungri with amusement in his eyes. “But you look fine, Daesung isn’t like… he’s not going to pick you apart because of the shirt you wore, yeah?”

Seungri wrinkles his nose, supposes Jiyong is right and…

Jiyong _is_ right.

Seungri has a great time out with Daesung, talking and laughing and seeing the actual town. It’s great fun, especially since the only times he’s been into the town since arriving were just quick trips for groceries. It’s exciting to see the place through Daesung’s eyes, and it’s exciting to spend time with Daesung, with someone so…

Daesung was so different, so _alive_ he was so different from everything that Seungri knew back home in the city and… And he really likes him.

Two weeks later, and many little dates here and there, and Seungri feels very comfortable with Daesung, more even than before. They’re on the couch together, Seungri’s computer on a TV tray in front of them, and Seungri hasn’t used it very often recently so all of the werewolf tabs are still open on a separate window.

He’s heedless of this, though, having forgotten about his computer as he reads through a passage in one of the books he’d brought. Daesung is clicking through the tabs open, seeing what kind of research Seungri is doing, when he comes across this separate window.

Seungri doesn’t notice the hesitation before Daesung clicks on it, and doesn’t really notice any changes until Daesung seems to stiffen. The action makes Seungri squirm a little, shifting to press closer against Daesung, murmuring soft nonsense to try and convince Daesung away from hard angles.

“What’s this?” Daesung asks after a moment, voice quiet, serious.

The tone surprises Seungri, makes him blink and look up, mind slowly dragging away from what he had been reading so he can blink at the webpage Daesung has open. “Looks like Wikipedia.” He says a little stupidly, before leaning forward a little, “Werewolves.” He adds, turning to look at Daesung, completely guileless.

He had forgotten, well and truly forgotten, about his weird obsession with the thought that Daesung might be a werewolf. This reaction, his brain notes as he tries to take in and understand the look on Daesung’s face, is wholly out of proportion with what he had found.

“There’s loud howling some nights, and one night I let my imagination get the best of me.” He says, shrugging it off.

Daesung doesn’t shrug it off, though, eyes, straying between Seungri’s face and the pages before him. “It can be dangerous here, sometimes.” He says, slow, like he’s working through what he wants to say to that. “The forest especially, you don’t go out when you hear that, right?” He asks, and Seungri shakes his head, confusion leaching into his expression.

“Daesung?” He asks, and what he wants is an answer of some type, even though he doesn’t know the question yet.

Daesung pulls in a breath, shakes his head… he doesn’t close out of the window, just minimizes it, and Seungri thinks that must mean something. He leans in and presses a kiss to Seungri’s cheek. “Just promise you won’t go outside when you hear that, yeah?” He asks, and Seungri promises, quiet.

The problem with Seungri making a promise like this, is that… well, despite all better judgments; he’s not going to keep it.

If Daesung had not said anything, had not _suggested_ that it was a problem and that Seungri shouldn’t go outside, then Seungri wouldn’t have ever thought to. Unfortunately for Daesung, and probably for Seungri, that’s exactly what Daesung did.

Two weeks after that conversation, he, Youngbae, and Jiyong have just finished dinner, and there’s a howl on the wind, close to the cabin, close to the edge of the forest. Seungri is startled, but then he pushes away from the table, nods to himself, and goes to the kitchen door.

“What are you doing?” Youngbae asks, confused, surprised by Seungri’s sudden actions.

“Testing a theory.” He says, opening the door. He hesitates when there’s another howl, who knows how far away. “Should be back soon.” He adds, and Youngbae makes an alarmed sound as Seungri steps outside and shuts the door behind him.

It’s not an especially well-thought-out plan, it’s not even really a plan, it’s just that Seungri doesn’t always do as he’s told, especially if he’s told not to investigate something. The plan, so far as Seungri’s mind can grasp it, is to go outside and see what happens. How long? He didn’t plan for that. What if something happens? Well there are too many possibilities, so again; no plan.

There’s one more howl, and then quiet except for the wind for a few long seconds, and then Seungri can hear something like a low growl, and then a symphony of them, multiple animals making that sound. Seungri’s eyes dart around to try and see where the sounds are coming from as he takes a step off of the porch, trying to see every way at once. There’s a sound like something has hit a tree to his left, so he turn, only to see a giant wolf slowly back out of the tree line.

Seungri can hear the wolf snarling, intent on whatever is just beyond the line of trees. The wolf pauses a moment, going still and silent, before letting out a loud howl and turning toward Seungri.

This is one of those moments, Seungri imagines, where he should have a plan for what to do. He doesn’t, he knows this, but he _should._ The wolf takes its time wandering toward Seungri, slow and steady, steps measured and sure, but there’s tension in the lines of its shoulder blades and Seungri is in so much trouble. This was it, wasn’t it? The wolf had beaten down other wolves, staked its claim (that’s not how wolves work, you looked it up).

The wolf, enormous, far bigger than any wolf should be, stops a few good paces before Seungri, and stares, eyes taking Seungri in, assessing, before it drops it’s nose, eyes closing, and waits.

Seungri pulls in a shaky breath, holds it a second, then reaches out a tentative hand and takes a step forward. He imagines that Jiyong and Youngbae are watching through the windows, too confused/scared to call out and order him to come back. It’s for the best, actually, because who knows what would happen if they did; would it break this spell? Would this wolf react badly?

Seungri doesn’t stop moving until his fingers touch the fur between the wolf’s ears; soft and short and black. The wolf stays still, quiet, for just one moment before lifting its head so that Seungri’s hand slips down to the snout while its eyes open slowly.

_Daesung._

It’s right then that Seungri realizes it. It’s Daesung, this wolf is Daesung. It’s dangerous, he had said, and Seungri imagines why, imagines that it was that nameless foe in the woods that made Daesung prowl around here on the nights of the moon; it was that nameless foe that Daesung had just bested because Seungri was an idiot and couldn’t follow orders.

After what seems like a very long time, the wolf… Daesung… urges Seungri to go back up the steps and inside, watching him until the door I closed behind him, and then standing guard for a while longer, turned back out toward the forest beyond.

“You could have just _said_ why.” Seungri says, pouting up at Daesung from where he’s seated being reprimanded in the kitchen. “I’d have believed you.” He adds, because Daesung still has his arms crossed and a look of disbelief on his face.

“Believed, maybe, but would you have listened to me? Most likely not.” He says, and Seungri makes a face.

“Unfair, I would have… I would have at least had a plan for what to do.” Seungri says, shifting a little.

Daesung tries to continue looking stern but he can’t, he can’t because he finds Seungri cute, finds his antics adorable and… and he was okay, safe, not hurt. “Just, just don’t do it again, what if there’s another one out there that’s bigger than me?” He asks, worry in his voice as he steps closer with his arms uncrossing. “I couldn’t bear to think of that, yeah? So just stay inside, where you’re safe.”

Seungri tilts his head up a little more, defiant for a moment before relenting, doesn’t want to cause Daesung to worry, doesn’t want to cause him stress… and he really won’t go out again, he knew he shouldn’t. “Kiss me and I’ll agree.” He says, a little courageous sounding, a lot of bravado. All Daesung had ever seemed to want is a peck on the cheek, a hug… He wants more, proof of more feeling.

Daesung considers Seungri for a moment, then leans forward, hands moving over Seungri’s shoulders to grasp the back of the chair as his face becomes level with Seungri’s. “Still want me, hm?” He asks, and Seungri’s eyes are a little wide, but he _does_ , he really, really does.

“Yes.” He says, not daring to be the one to make the first move, not yet.

Daesung smiles, wide and bright and a little feral. “Alright, then.” He whispers, and then he presses their lips together, short and hard, a little breath-taking, a little more intense then this type of kiss should usually feel.

“More.” Seungri says when Daesung pulls back from it, “Again.” He adds, no please, not polite, and Daesung laughs, hand moving to the back of Seungri’s neck.

“Alright, alright.” He whispers, and this is a proper kiss, all heat and touch and tongues and lips, and teeth hitting; and nothing has ever been more perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> My favorite thing to do is be cryptic in summaries because I don't like writing summaries. I hope you enjoyed ^^ Had to get this done so I could try to write halloweeny stuff.


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